Ayrshire could do better in the green energy stakes

THE SOUTH of Scotland is distinctly average when it comes to green energy as research reveals only 24 per cent have considered low-carbon home improvements.

The Energy Saving Trust this week ranked the south fourth of eight Scottish regions in their Scottish Green Energy League Table.

November research surveyed people across the country to find out the percentage of Scottish adults in an area who have considered installing or installed renewables systems in their current home.

And North East Scotland came out on top, with 31 per cent of residents having already installed or considered installing green energy features in their home in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee.

The Highlands and Islands proved the second most green-thinking region with 29 per cent figure, followed by mid-Scotland and Fife with 26 per cent.

South Scotland – comprised of Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, and the three Ayrshires – beat the Dumbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde area by only two per cent, with just under a quarter of residents claiming to have considered installing or already fitted green devices.

The survey found solar panels were the South of Scotland’s favourite green purchase, with 19 per cent saying they had either considered installing the technology in their home or had them already.

Mike Thornton, director of the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland, said the South Scotland figures showed a bright future for home renewables in the region.

But he encouraged those who have not yet gone green, or would like to do more to save energy, to consider features such as ground and air-source heat pumps, wood-fuelled boilers, wind turbines, and solar panels.

“More than a tenth of people think they wouldn’t save anything by fitting these upgrades, when in fact they could be up to £610 a year better off – an important saving in these difficult economic times,” he said.